Houston Progressive Clergy Group Opposes Rick Perry’s Prayer Rally

Some progressive Christian leaders in Houston are speaking up against Governor Rick Perry's scheduled prayer rally in August. In a public letter, the group criticizes Perry for excluding non-Christians, partnering with an anti-gay group and blurring boundaries between church and state.

The letter from a group called the Houston Clergy Council asks Rick Perry to “leave the ministry to us and refocus his energy on the work of governing our state."

They say Perry’s event, scheduled for August 6 at Reliant Stadium, does not fit with Houston’s religious diversity.

The Rev. Becky Edmiston Lange of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church says they represent many people of faith who don't agree with Gov. Perry. “We are clergy persons who support the rights of all people, no matter who they love or how they worship.”

The letter is signed by 24 Houston area ministers and lay leaders, mostly Unitarian Universalists and members of other denominations that welcome Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and trans-gender Christians.

Houston’s biggest evangelical megachurches – Lakewood Church, First Baptist Church, and Second Baptist Church – have applauded Perry's rally as an effort to draw national attention to the need for prayer.